Organisation of the European Schools

Board of Governors

A great deal of useful, and at times very detailed, information on the European School system can be found on the Board of Governors’ website: www.eursc.org
For educational questions, finance, and administration the Board of Governors is the final decision-making body. The Board of Governors meets three times a year: in October for general business, in January for educational matters (enlarged committee), in April for budget and financial issues. Each member has one vote. Decisions are usually taken unanimously.

Composition

Members who can vote:

• A representatives of each Member State (one vote per delegation)
• A representative of the European Commission
• A representative of the European Patent Office (Munich).

The following representatives can participate but not vote:

• The representative of the Board of Governors and his deputy.
• The Heads of the European Schools.
• Two parents.
• Two teachers.

At the January meeting the european schools inspectors, two parents representatives of each Association, and two teachers representatives of each school may also attend.
Teaching: The Board of Governors decides on the orientation and organisation of teaching (curricula, timetable, general instructions for choosing methods, exam regulations, etc.).
Finances: The Board of Governors decides on the budget of the schools, which is proposed by each school administrative board. It also grants discharges to the administrative boards after the annual closing of the accounts.

Secretary General of the Board of Governors

Between sessions of the Board of Governors, the Secretary General (also called the representative of the Board of Governors) represents it, and chairs meetings of the administrative board of each European School.

Enrolment Policy: Highlights

Duties of the Central Enrolment Authority created end of 2006:

• To draw up and publish a clear enrolment policy each year.
• To ensure a balanced distribution of pupils between the Brussels schools in global terms and between the language sections and to ensure the optimal use of the schools’ resources to serve pupils’ needs and ensure pedagogical continuity.
• To perform a constant monitoring of the evolution of pupil populations in the various language sections and schools.

The Authority shall meet again each year as often as it sees fit during the period from 1st March to the end of the school year in order to monitor the on-going administration of the enrolment procedure in the schools on the basis of the evolving predictions of numbers in classes for the following school year.

Composition

• The Secretary General of the European Schools (President)
• A representative of the European Commission (representing EU institutions).
• The Directors of the European Schools of Brussels.
• A representative of parents.
• A representative of the authorities of the host country.

Preparatory Committees:

Matters for discussion and decision by the Board of Governors are first studied by preparatory committees: the Administration and Financial Committee (CAF) and the Teaching Committees.

Administrative and Financial Committee:

This committee of experts has a similar composition to the Financial Committee of the Council of Ministers. Its responsibility is to examine the financial implications of council decisions and the budgets of the individual schools. This committee meets several times a year.

Board of Inspectors:

There are two Boards of Inspectors, one for the Kindergarten (Maternelle) and Primary, and the other for Secondary. They are made up of the national inspectors. These inspectors, who also have responsibilities to their own national governments, visit classes, give instructions to the Head (Director) of each school and to the teachers, and submit proposals for curricula and teaching methods to the Board of Governors.
Pedagogical committee:
These meet twice a year to prepare proposals which have to be approved by the Board of Governors. Only the inspectors can vote on these proposals. There is a Teaching Committee for Primary, and one for Secondary, which together form the Joint Teaching Committee.

Composition:

• The inspectors (one for each Member State for Primary and/or Secondary).
• The representative of the Board of Governors and his deputy.
• The representative of the European Commission.
• The Heads (Directors) of the schools and their deputies.
• Two representatives of the Primary and/or Secondary teachers.
• Two representatives of the parents for Primary and/or Secondary

Interparents

The representatives of the parents’ associations of all European Schools meet before each meeting of the Teaching Committee and the Board of Governors to coordinate their work, to exchange information, and to prepare common proposals to the Board of Governors. Delegates of each parents’ association represent Interparents in the meetings of the Teaching Committees.

Teacher’s Representatives

The national Ministries of Education appoint full-time teachers at the schools. Part-time teachers – “chargés de cours” – are locally hired by the Director. Each year the teachers elect their representatives who will participate in meetings of the Board of Governors and Committees.